


Valentine's Day 1988

by comicc_bookk_jawnss



Series: Damie Holidays [2]
Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Romantic Fluff, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:41:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29200026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comicc_bookk_jawnss/pseuds/comicc_bookk_jawnss
Summary: Dani and Jamie celebrate their first Valentine's Day together in their newly-opened flower shop.
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie
Series: Damie Holidays [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2143938
Comments: 4
Kudos: 47





	Valentine's Day 1988

“Flowers seemed… obvious, so - ”

Dani’s eyebrows had risen instinctively. She’d just assumed and regretted it immediately when she saw the panicked look on Jamie’s face.

Remembering how stressed out Jamie had gotten on their [one-month anniversary](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28698432), Dani had purposefully asked that they keep their first Valentine’s Day low-key. She figured Jamie was liable to be stressed as it was with it presumably being their busiest day since opening The Leafling at the beginning of the month.

It had, in fact, been even busier than they’d predicted, which had helped boost Jamie’s confidence but taxed her all the same considering the bulk of the work had fallen to her — though Jamie had insisted Dani had the far more difficult task having to interact with customers so often between taking calls and working the register.

In any case, Dani had insisted Jamie take a nap in the back room after they’d finally closed up for the day. Jamie had pushed back, of course, but passed out on her shoulder before she’d even finished a glass of wine.

Now, about an hour later, Jamie was standing before her, arms behind her back, wide-eyed and pale — Dani having undone all of her efforts to relax Jamie with a single muscle movement.

“I can do an arrangement.”

“No, no, Jamie - ”

Dani got off the couch, holding her hand out as she stepped toward her.

“I’ll do it right now!”

Dani gently gripped her upper arms just as Jamie turned toward the main room.

“Jamie, it’s okay!”

Jamie was still panicking but turned back to look at her. Dani slowly rubbed her arms.

“Whatever your present is, I’ll love it.” Dani smiled softly. “Because it’s from you.”

Jamie started to calm down after a few moments, her lips turning up slightly, then looked down and cleared her throat.

“I just figured ya must’a gotten flowers… uh, before.”

Dani’s eyebrows rose once more. Jamie was right. It had been Eddie’s go-to since they were teenagers, and it had been sweet at first. And then it had started to feel like he was checking off a box — a well-intentioned gesture but without much thought put into it.

And here was Jamie, who put significant thought into all of her floral arrangements, including the one she’d given to Dani two weeks ago in honor of The Leafling’s grand opening.

And yet, Jamie had chosen to do something different for today so that it would feel more special to Dani. She could feel tears already springing to her eyes as Jamie cleared her throat.

“Anyway, I, uh - ”

She was interrupted by a knock at the front door. Jamie had left the door to the back room open when she’d come in with the gift, so they could see a delivery man outside with their Chinese takeout.

“I’ll get it.” Jamie turned to her and brought her arms out from behind her back, revealing small, rectangular gift about the size of a book. “Didn’t want it to get damaged, so I just kept it in here. Second page.”

Still not meeting her eyes, Jamie handed it to her, then walked out of the room. Dani watched her for a moment, then turned back to the present. She gently unfolded the wrapping paper, revealing a sketch pad. Dani flipped it over to the front cover, carefully opened it, turned to the second page and gasped.

She was looking at herself. A sketch of her tending to an orchid. An incredibly life-like, beautifully shaded, simple yet intricate portrait, practically a snapshot…

Last month, before they’d officially opened, Jamie had been giving her a lesson. She’d been so focused that she hadn’t immediately noticed Jamie step away. Just before she’d looked up, she’d heard a camera shutter. Jamie had said she was just taking photos for posterity and proceeded to take some of the shop itself.

She’d even let Dani take a few of her — granted, Dani had not exactly been asking — but Jamie hadn’t let Dani see the photos when she’d had them developed. She’d explained that she wanted them to be a surprise, but Dani had never imagined this.

She held the book farther out as she felt tears start to trickle down her face and looked up as she heard Jamie’s footsteps returning. Jamie finally met her gaze, but she was blushing furiously and rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand.

“Haven’t drawn in awhile, so it’s not ma - ”

“Jamie… ”

Dani could barely say it, but Jamie seemed to understand. Through blurry eyes, Dani saw her lower her hand and step into the room, closing the door behind her, then put the takeout bag down on the couch and step toward Dani. She still looked a bit nervous, a bit uncertain, but not embarrassed.

Dani carefully closed the book, closed the distance between them and raised her left hand, lightly brushing Jamie’s cheek as she cupped it. She heard Jamie’s breath catch, then leaned in. Several moments later, she gently pulled back, resting her forehead against Jamie’s as they caught their breath.

“So ya liked it, then?”

Jamie’s voice was even lower than usual. Dani giggled and heard Jamie, whose hands were wrapped around her back, chuckle a moment later. Dani pulled back slightly, still cupping Jamie’s face, and smiled widely.

“Thank you.”

Jamie was blushing again, but it was now accompanied by her lopsided grin.

“Thank _you_ , Dani, for, uh… ” She cleared her throat. “For today.”

She didn’t elaborate, but she didn’t have to. Smiling even wider, Dani leaned in again for a quick kiss.

“I have something for you, too.”

Jamie smirked.

“Well, I should hope so.”

Laughing, Dani pulled back, wiping her face, then kissed the cover of Jamie’s sketch book as she leaned down to put it on the couch. She heard Jamie stifle a whimper, so she ruffled her hair when she leaned back up and heard Jamie giggle as she walked past.

She hadn’t gotten Jamie anything too big, not wanting to overwhelm her or make her feel insecure. And given the turn the night had almost taken a few minutes ago, Dani knew she’d made the right choice.

Above all, she’d wanted it to be personal. But she had to admit that she was feeling a bit nervous now.

She was not in an enviable position following the person she loved more than she’d ever loved anyone, who’d given her the most thoughtful gift she’d ever received. So, it was with a quickening pulse that she retrieved her gift from her purse and walked back to Jamie.

“I - I know it’s really lame.” She laughed nervously. “I just - I thought you might like it. But I’m not the best with, umm, technology or - ”

“Poppins.” She felt Jamie put her hands around her own, which Dani hadn’t realized were trembling slightly. Jamie was smiling warmly. “You… are _brilliant_ at givin’ me gifts.”

And Jamie meant it. There was [the chest](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774257) Dani had given her for her birthday that meant more to Jamie than she would ever be able to say.

There was the light blue Adidas jumper with white racing stripes, which Jamie was wearing right now, that Dani had given her for Christmas — _“I thought since you do have to wash your crewneck… on occasion.” Jamie had narrowed her eyes, and Dani had giggled. “And my hoodie’s a bit small for your shoulders._ ”

There were the suspenders Dani had just given her for The Leafling’s grand opening. And then there was everything else: the futile but earnest attempts at tea; the laughing at her jokes, even when they were at Dani’s own expense; the easing her through [nightmares](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28431540) and [panic attacks](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28674561) without complaint, ever; the holding her whenever, without her ever having to ask — Dani just knew.

And above all, there was Dani herself. Jamie had felt lucky to be in her presence from the moment she’d met her but had never imagined it would go beyond that. And it never would have if not for Dani. Before they’d even left Bly, Dani had already given her more than she’d ever wanted.

Jamie’s smile widened now as Dani laughed shyly.

“Can I - ”

Dani nodded and relinquished her hold on the small gift-wrapped box. Jamie brought it closer, smiling up at Dani as she untied the ribbon around it, then looked back down as she gently unwrapped it, opened the lid and squealed.

“Is this a mixtape?!”

Dani smiled rather proudly now.

“I know you like music for your runs.” She couldn’t help laughing the last word as she realized Jamie, who’d let the box drop to the floor in her rush to examine the cassette, was so giddy she was bouncing slightly. “I, umm, tried to pick songs I thought you’d like, but - ”

She was cut off by a bruising kiss, then almost knocked over as Jamie ran past her.

“Oh, sorry!” Jamie had frozen and turned back just inside the main room. “Are ya - ”

But Dani was laughing and waved her on. Beaming, Jamie turned back and continued on to the boombox on the back counter. More than a few moments later — with shaking hands, Jamie had had difficulty putting the cassette in place — “Heart of Glass” by Blondie was blaring through the speakers, and Jamie almost screamed.

Dani almost fell over again when Jamie ran back, throwing her arms around her.

“Thanks, Dani!”

Dani quelled her laughter but was still smiling impossibly wide as she wrapped her arms around Jamie’s waist.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jay… I love you.”

Dani didn’t want to kill Jamie’s vibe. She’d only said it twice before — first on [Christmas Eve](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28615212) and then a couple weeks later [after their first major fight,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29094732) and both times Jamie had cried profusely.

But she couldn’t let today pass by without saying it. Fortunately, when Jamie pulled back a moment later, she was still smiling, though definitely teary-eyed.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Poppins.” She bounced up onto her tiptoes and kissed Dani’s forehead. A few moments later, she pulled back, wiping her face, coughed out a laugh and took Dani’s hand. “C’mon!”

She then pulled an equally eager Dani out onto the “dance floor.”


End file.
